Music
9 DJ sets in frankly outrageous locations
From Oakie at Stonehenge to Fatboy Slim at the House Of Commons, these are the DJs who decided a regular dancefloor wasn't quite enough.
Back in the day it might have been all about a basement, a red light and a feeling – but today’s DJs and promoters are working a bit harder to make sure that you’re dancing in a space that’s as out there as any of the music being played.
Here are nine DJ gigs that really had to be seen to be believed.
1. Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox at Stonehenge
These two go right back to UK acid house’s beginnings. Oakenfold was part of a fabled group of holiday makers – including Danny Rampling – that wanted to recreate Alfredo Fiorito’s 80s Ibiza vibe in the UK. Coxy played at the first Shoom, Rampling’s club that defined the era. But this invite-only gig at Stonehenge proves that they’re not done yet when it comes to pushing the boundaries of DJ culture.
2. Nina Kraviz at the Great Wall Of China
Nina Kraviz is no stranger to playing a sunrise set during festival season, but surely this one takes some beating? Picture this: it’s the early hours of the morning and you’re dancing in a stone towner built by no less than the Ming Dynasty of imperial China. The wall that tower is part of stretches 5,500 miles. And Nina’s throwing down unreleased bangers from her Trip label, alongside tracks by Shackleton and Addison Groove. It’s probably fair to say that even as one of techno’s most prominent names, Kraviz will never quite hit these imperial heights again.
3. Paul Oakenfold at Mount Everest Base Camp
Now forgive us for repeating ourselves, but for Paul Oakenfold at what he calls "the highest party on earth", we’ll make an exception. To commemorate the 30 years since that fateful Ibiza trip that ended up kicking off London’s love of Balearic culture, Oakey performed at Mount Everest’s base camp alongside Nepal’s DJ Ranzen, as both raised funds to help the local community after the 2015’s terrible earthquake. It’s not a truly spectacular gig unless you have to train for the altitude for four weeks beforehand, you know.
4. Peggy Gou and Artwork play an underwater rave
Now pool parties are one thing, but we’ve never heard of a rave that actually went down under the surface before. Deep House (of course) was an Elrow production, with the masters of clubland spectacle inviting their guests to don a helmet and sink into the drink at Y-40 in Venice aka "the world’s deepest swimming pool", which goes down to 140ft (that’s deep enough for a 14 storey block of flats). Here, lucky guests got to hear Artwork and then Peggy Gou play bumping tech-house alongside the usual Elrow cast of actors and huge production values. Just make sure the helmet stays on or you’ll have more than a sore head to worry about…
5. Andrew Weatherall takes over the Sydney Opera House
We’re back on the water again, but this time only at its edge as none other than techno’s favourite punk, Andrew Weatherall, holds court at the Sydney Opera House. Sydney promoter Ben Marshall gave Weatherall the chance to "get to the bowels" of the infamous building, as the latter describes it. Now when it comes to dance music there’s very few things Weatherall’s not done yet – from crafting the legendary Primal Scream remix to slowing dance music down with his A Love From Outer Space project with Sean Johnston – so taking over a space that was designed to reflect Mayan temples in their splendour seems pretty appropriate really.
6. Horse Meat Disco atop London’s Orbit Tower
Few acts are more beloved in dance music than Horse Meat Disco, so they had to be on this list really. Especially as they bought their unique vintage disco vibe to London’s Orbit Tower so recently. And while we love The Eagle in Vauxhall, Horse Meat’s Sunday night home for 15 years now, hearing this ass-shakingly funky disco with a bird’s eye view of London must have been very special indeed.
7. Logan Sama and the greats of grime take over London's ICA
As grime is now finally being considered an international art form, it’s perhaps not surprising that London’s ICA has been host to many different grime artists in the past. But we had to pick this clip because of how many big names we see in action. Check out a young Novelist spitting with his Lewisham crew The Square, right around the time of their breakout track Lewisham McDeez. And make sure you watch to the end to check out Stormzy and Skepta tearing up the place.
8. Mathew Jonson and Isis live at Teufelsberg
Back in the Cold War even the mention of filming here would probably have got you shot, but thankfully things are different now in West Berlin. That’s because Teufelsberg, which is based on a man-made hill built of rubble, was once the site of a US listening post known as Field Station Berlin. But nowadays the area is able to host listening events of a very different nature, like this hypnotic live set from the masterful Mathew Johson. Better times all round, we’re sure you agree.
9. Fatboy Slim at the Houses Of Parliament
Back in the 1990s, electronic dance music was viewed by the British political class as a social ill – in particular, the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act legislated against "repetitive beats" played in public spaces, an attempt to crack down on the spate of outdoor raves popping up across the British countryside. But come 2013, electronic dance music was established enough that the establishment were comfortable with it. In March 2013, Fatboy Slim became the first DJ to play the House Of Commons at the invitation of MP Mike Weatherley as part of House To House, a parliamentary initiative encouraging 16-25 year olds to become more involved in their communities through local music and dance projects.
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